~ life is delicious

BBQ Inn

It’s hard to go to a restaurant that’s been hyped up repeatedly as the best of anything, let alone fried chicken.

Fried chicken, that glorious, heavenly, lip smacking king of all things deliciously breaded and fried. The holy grail of juicy, crunchy, and seasoned without being salty. A crust you want to peel off and eat without gobs of fat lurking beneath. Succulent meat that doesn’t get left behind due to dryness and lack of flavor. In a recent fried chicken throwdown, our local celebrity chefs used every trick in the book to get the perfect combination of crispy and juicy: panko crumbs, injection, sous vide, brining, captain crunch, and so forth.

Their creations were innovative and delicious. But sometimes, you just want a simple fried chicken. And that is what BBQ Inn delivers.

The chicken comes out heaped on a platter so high it’s hard to believe you’re supposed to eat it all. It’s hot and quietly sizzles, straight from the fryer. Within moments of getting it, our table had settled into a contented silence punctuated only by lip smacking and slightly muted groans of pleasure. The outside was perfectly crispy and seasoned, the flesh (even white meat pieces) juicy and tender.

Though the fries are mediocre, the chicken is well worth the 20 minute wait of the fry. Next time I’ll substitute a side. I’ve heard their other fried things (chicken fried steak? fried shrimp?) are also excellent but I couldn’t imagine going and not having the chicken. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it…